Reject presidential nomination — Keyamo tells Jonathan

By Damilare Adeleye

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has urged former President Goodluck Jonathan to openly distance himself from the presidential nomination offered to him by a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Keyamo’s remark follows the announcement by a PDP camp led by former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki, which adopted Jonathan as its presidential flag bearer for the 2027 general election.

Recall that another bloc, backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had earlier unveiled Senator Sandy Onor as its preferred presidential candidate.

Reacting to the Turaki faction’s decision in a post on X on Sunday, Keyamo questioned the authority of the group to make such a declaration, arguing that it lacks official recognition from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Minister ridiculed the endorsement, saying it reflected a troubling disregard for political realities and institutional processes.

“This is some kind of bizarre comedy taken too far by supposedly grown adults and some names that were actually in the corridors of power at some point in this country,” Keyamo wrote.

He further criticised those behind the move for allegedly dragging Jonathan into what he described as a futile political exercise.

“Giving a whole Presidential ticket to an ex-President and statesman by proxy and by a bunch of people not even registered on INEC’s website. And they don’t give a hoot, dragging such a revered figure into their charade that is certainly a journey to nowhere. Quite sad,” he stated.

Keyamo warned that silence from the former president could create the impression of acceptance, urging him to publicly reject the nomination.

“For the sake of his global image, President Goodluck Jonathan must immediately issue a strong ‘no, thank you’ statement, lest Nigerians begin to recall the ‘clueless’ campaign that got him out of power, the first sitting President to be so ousted,” he added.